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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STRKT 

WiBSTBR.N.Y.  14580 

(716)872-4503 


•^>^ 


\    '; 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche. 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  tschniques  et  bibliographiques 


7 

t 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographicaliy  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  pelliculie 

□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


D 

D 

n 


D 


D 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relii  avec  d'autres  documents 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires; 


L'institut  a  microfilmi  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  At4  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  u  liques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 


I     I   Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 


□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelMculdes 

|~~1/Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
I  ^  Pages  dicolordes,  tachetdes  ou  piquies 

□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

I    1/  Showthrough/ 
L^    Transparence 

□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

□    Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

□    Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieliement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  M  filmdes  A  nouveau  de  facon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


y 

20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


'J<^Mi"<lfm|HUffl»l 


The  copy  filmad  here  hat  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Queen's  University 


L'exempiaire  fiimA  fut  reproduit  grAce  it  la 
gAnArosit*  de: 

Dougias  Library 
Queen's  University 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  bes^quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
off  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
ffiiming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printer!  paper  covers  are  ffllmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  Impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  Images  sulvantes  ont  M  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettett  de  l'exempiaire  film*,  at  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplalres  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  Imprlmte  sont  filmte  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  at  en  termlnant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empraSnte 
d'Impression  ou  d'lllustratlon,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exempiaires 
originaux  sont  ffilmte  en  commenpant  par  ia 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  termlnant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  fframe  on  each  microfflche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  ie 
cas:  le  symbols  -^  signiffie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signiffie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  ffiimed  at 
difffferent  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  ffiimed 
beginning  in  the  upper  iefft  hand  corner,  iefft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
fflimts  A  des  taux  de  reduction  dIfffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ciichA,  il  est  ffilmi  A  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  has,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Mil       ■■■--1± "' 


I  I  I  I  -  -  '."J^^/^ 


MEMOHANDlJAi 


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1    • 

IX    UEI.ATION     I't)   TIIK 


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ioli  pines  of  %  %iibiert ; : 


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\u  (  )  W  E  R    C  A  N  .V  D  A 


Nem  Dork: 

('.    .<.    VVEt^TCOTT    .1-    (M)..    PRINTEIIS, 
No.    79    John    Strkkt. 

1865. 


■  »f  » 


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MEMORANDUM 


IN    RELATION   TO   THE 


^0to  Hims  of  t|^  €|aHfc, 


'■ 


IN 


LOW^ER    CJ^NJ^IDj^. 


New  lOork: 

C.   S.    WESTCOTT   &   CO.,   PRINTERS, 
No.   79  John   Stkeet. 

1865. 


,1 


Mint  of  the  United  States, 

Phii^adelphia,  March  20,  1865. 

Dear  Sir  :  As  the  gold  fields  of  Canada  are  now  exciting  a  good  deal 
of  interest,  the  questions  sometimes  arise,  how  gold,  so  situated,  should 
have  remained  undiscovered  so  long;  why,  since  its  discovery,  a  good 
many  years  ago,  it  should  have  conthiued  undeveloped  until  now;  and  . 
what  new  evidence  has  transpired,  to  attract  public  attention  to  it  at 
the  present  time? 

Knowing  that  you  were  long  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  that 
section  of  the  province,  and  have  been  connected  with  the  Canadian 
government,  superintending  important  public  interests  in  that  direction, 
I  would  be  glad  if  you  coiild  answer  these  points. 

Yours,  very  truly, 

Jas.  Pollock. 
To  Wm.  McD.  Dawson,  Esq., 

(of  Three  Rivers,  Canada,) 

Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  New  York. 


Fifth  Avenue  Hotel, 
New  York,  21s/  March,  1865. 

• 

Dear  Sir:  Having  met  with  such  questions  as  yours  before,  I  had 
already  drawn  up  a  memorandum,  giving  a  brief  review  of  tlie,  dis- 
covery of  the  gold  fields  of  Lower  Canada,  which  I  think  meets  the 
pouits  j-ou  have  raised,  and  which  may  be  used  as  you  see  fit.  The 
special  reference  t<»  particular  properties  is  equally  applicable  to  other 
places,  according  to  the  relation  they  bear  to  known  points  of  value. 

Yours,  very  truly, 

4  Wm.  McD.  Dawson. 

To  the  Hcniorable  James  Poij,ock, 

Director  United  States  Mint,  tStc, 

Philadelphia. 


w^ 


_ 


0 


MEMORANDUM. 


I 


A  number  of  years  ago,  gold  was  discovered  on  a  small 
tributary  of  the  Chaudiere  river,  now  called  the  Gilbert,  in 
the  seigniory  of  Vaudreuil,  in  Lower  Canada.  The  discovery 
was  brought  under  the  notice  of  the  government  by  the 
Seignior,  Mr.  de  Lery,  ar  d  a  patent  obtained  by  him  for  the 
exclusive  working  of  the  gold  mines  within  the  said  seign- 
iory. This  patent  was  granted  in  1846,  and  some  desultory 
work  was  carried  on  under  it,  but  not  in  any  systematic  or 
energetic  manner,  and  the  public  being  shut  out  from  the 
supposed  sole  locality  where  gold  was  obtained,  but  little 
public  interest  was  manifested  in  it. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  however,  having  ex- 
cited attention,  the  labors  of  the  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada  were  extended  to  the  valley  of  the  Chaudi6re  about 
the  years  1851-52,  &c.,  and  it  was  then  for  the  first  time 
ascertained  that  gold  was  to  be  found  over  a  wide  area  out- 
side of  the  seigniory  covered  by  the  exclusive  patent. 

About  this  time,  also,  some  experimental  gold  mining 
operations  were  carried  on  upon  a  small  scale  at  Jersey 
point — the  confluence  of  the  Chaudiere  and  Du  Loup — the 
result  of  which  has  been  reported  by  Sir  William  Logan, 
who  inspected  the  work  while  carrying  on  the  survey,  as 
above,  and  that  result  in  brief  was,  that  the  actual  opera- 
tions produced  $4,323  in  gold,  at  an  outlay  of  $2,957,  leav- 
ing a  profit  of  $1,366,  which,  coupled  with  the  want  of  skill 
exhibited  in  the  proceedings,  or  any  knowledge  of  the  mode 


.] 


1 


of  alluvial  gold-digging,  which  had  not  yet  travelled  back 
from  the  experiences  then  being  acquired  in  California,  must 
be  considered  a  decided  success.  It  may  be  here  remarked 
that  tlie  work  at  Jersey  point  was  discontiniied  because  of 
a  defective  title, 

Tlie  survey  by  Sir  William  Logan  amounted,  so  far  as  the 
actual  search  for  gold  was  concerned,  to  the  merest  ^'pros- 
pecting," such  as  trying  a  panful  of  earth  here  and  there. 
There  was  no  attempt  to  solve  the  question  as  to  quantity ^  by 
digging  down  to  the  bed-rock,  and  no  search  for  gold-bearing 
quartz,  the  design  being  rather  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the 
auriferous  belt  than  its  value.  In  this  superficial  examina- 
tion gold  was  found  almost  upon  every  trial  on  the  Plante, 
the  Gilbert,  the  Famine,  the  Etchemin,  the  Du  Loup  and 
tributaries,  and  on  the  main  Chaudiere  and  other  tributary 
streams,  and  also  on  the  St.  Francis,  in  the  direction  of 
Sherbrooko,  lying  within  the  same  belt  of  country.  It  must 
be  remarked,  however,  that  at  that  period  the  mode  of  work- 
ing alluvial  mines  for  gold  was  less  known  to  our  scientific 
men  than  it  now  is  to  the  commonest  laborer  who  has  had 
experience  at  the  "  diggings"  in  any  of  the  gold-producing 
countries. 

In  the  rush  to  Oalifornia  and  Australia  at  that  period,  the 
existence  of  an  auriferous  country  in  Lower  Canada  seems, 
indeed,  to  have  been  in  a  manner  lost  sight  of  without  the 
fact  having  ever  been  fairly  tested  as  to  whether  gold  was 
there  in  paying  quantity  or  not.  This  was  due,  in  a  great 
measure,  perhajis  absolutely,  to  an  idea  that  got  possession 
of  the  public  mind  that  the  gold  was  not  the  product  of  the 
country,  but  had  been  accidentally  scattered  through  the 
localities  where  found  by  an  "  ancient  drift"  from  some  for- 
eign source — an  idea  somewhat  attributable,  to  the  frequent 


montion  in  the  geological  reports  of  the  period  of  the 
^^  glacial  drift"  as  being  that  at  which  the  deposits  wore 
made.  At  the  date  of  these  reports  it  may  be  remembered 
that  speculation  was  rife  as  to  whether  such  a  tiemendous 
influx  of  adventurers  into  the  neighborhood  of  a  quiet,  well- 
ordered  community  as  took  place  into  California  would  have 
been  more  of  a  blessing  or  a  misfortune.  It  is  quite  clear, 
from  a  perusal  of  the  reports,  that,  with  the  experiences  of 
California  then  transpiring  before  his  eyes,  Sir  William  Logan 
was  fearful  lest  what  he  did  say  might  have  caused  an 
exodus  from  the  settlements  calculated  to  upset  all  the  ordi- 
nary avocations  of  industry,  and,  with  his  habitual  caution, 
he  rather  encouraged  careful  investigation  than  the  rush  of  a 
crowd  to  the  locality.  He,  therefore,  only  reported  facts  ; 
but  what  were  these  facts,  read  by  the  light  of  the  experi- 
ence since  derived  from  other  gold  regions  ?  Why,  wher- 
ever he  tried  the  earth — the  mere  surface — he  found  parti- 
cles of  gold.  Would  not  such  a  fact  in  relation  to  any 
newly-explored  district  in  California  have  caused  the  wildest 
excitement  among  the  miners,  and  an  immediate  rush  to  the 
locality  ?  How  many  a  rich  claim  has  shown  no  particle  of 
gold  in  the  surface  eartli,  and  yet  the  miners,  judging  of  the 
spots  where  from  its  weight  it  would  sink  down  into  the  de- 
pressions of  the  rock,  have  persevered  without  seeing  a 
"  color"  to  stimulate  their  hopes  until  they  have  been  re- 
warded by  the  rich  deposits  at  the  bottom.  Is  it  possible 
that  the  gold  of  Canada  obeys  a  different  law,  and  remains 
at  the  to])  instead  of  sinking  by  its  specific  gravity  through 
the  loose  material  of  the  drift  to  its  proper  level  ?  Or,  is  it 
not  natural  to  suppose  that  gold,  being  admittedly  more 
universally  found  in  the  surface  material  on  the  Chaudicire 
than  in  any  of   the  other  gold  countries,  may    also  be  in 


greater  abundance  in  its  natural  position  at  the  bottom  of 
the  drift  ? 

Notwithstanding  that  an. influx  of  strangers  was  prevented 
by  the  general  misiipprehension  of  the  cliaracter  and  origin 
of  the  gold  deposit — which  has  only  quite  recently  been  dis- 
sipated by  tlie  now  known  fact,  that  the  gold  is  the  product 
of  the  country  itself — some  desultory  work  was  carried  on 
occasionally  by  the  farmers  ;  and,  though  without  the  ex- 
perience of  iiractical  miners,  always  with  considerable  success. 
But  a  general  desire  has  prevailed  among  them  to  conceal  the 
amount  realized,  because  they  thought  the  gold  would  all  be 
seized  if  known  to  be  of  importance. 

During  the  summer  of  18G3,  however,  a  better  knowledge 
of  digging  seems  to  have  been  introduced  among  them,  and, 
instead  of  washing  the  surface  earth,  some  of  the  more  en- 
terprising dug  deeper,  and  were  rewarded  by  such  success 
that  the  quantities  of  gold  brought  to  Quebec  for  sale  at- 
tracted attention,  and  a  considerable  number  of  people  began 
prospecting  and  purchasing  land.  The  government  also 
sent  an  inspector  to  the  locality  whose  report  was  very  favor- 
able, but  it  was  difficult  to  ascertain  the  exact  quantity  of 
gold  mined.  It  was  generally  supposed,  however,  tlat  the 
amount  obtained  from  one  small  spot  on  the  Gilbert,  during 
the  summer  and  fall,  would  not  fall  short  of  from  $50,000  to 
$60,000. 

Some  gentlemen  from  New  York,  having  visited  the  Chau- 
diere  at  this  time,  ajiplied  to  capitalists  in  this  city  to  enter- 
tain the  j)urchase  of  the  de  Lery  patent,  and  a  gentleman 
who  was  increclulous,  but  otherwise  willing  to  speculate,  at 
last  consented  to  visit  the  locality,  remarking  that  he  would 
take  money  enough  with  him  to  buy  all  the  gold  that  could 
be  found  in  the  country.     On  arriving  at  St.  Francis,  he 


Ji 


Kf 


\ 


piiruhased  some  few  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  gold,  and 
intimated  that  he  would  buy  as  much  as  the  people  could 
bring  to  him.  The  price  being  rather  liigher  than  the> 
bad  been  in  the  habit  of  getting,  and  the  market  thus 
brought  to  their  doors,  he  found  himself  next  moniing  be- 
sieged by  a  crowd  of  people,  with  gold  in  plates,  in  saucers, 
in  teacups,  in  tin  pans,  in  bags,  &c.,  and  in  such  quantity 
that  he  had  to  confess  it  was  altogether  beyond  his  means  of 
purchasing.  Thin  led  to  the  i)urcha8e  of  the  de  liery  patent, 
but  the  death  of  the  gentleman  in  quention  dehiyed  the  oper- 
ations intended  under  it. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  a  consideralile  number  of  people 
visited  the  auriferous  region,  before  the  working  season  com- 
menced, with  the  view  of  securing  good  locations,  but  the 
prosecution  of  their  enterprise  was  prevented,  and  many  left 
in  disgust,  without  the  intention  of  returning  again,  because 
no  locations  could  be  had  on  any  terms. 

This  was  due  to  the  fact  that,  theoretically,  the  Crown 
owned  all  the  gold  on  private  as  well  as  on  public  land.  The 
de  Lery  patent  had  been  granted  for  mining  within  the 
seigniory  of  Vaudreuil,  burdened  with  a  royalty  of  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  gross  proceeds,  and  a  bill  was  before  Parliament, 
then  in  session,  to  provide  for  the  leasing  of  claims  by  the 
government  on  private  as  toell  as  public  property,  and  ig- 
noring all  right  to  the  gold  on  the  part  of  the  p)foprietors 
of  the  soil.  This  bill  encountered  great  hostility,  and 
roused  such  a  spirit  of  dissatisfaction — almost  of  threatened 
resistance — among  the  people  of  the  district,  that  the  crowd 
of  new-comers,  to  the  number  of  several  thousand,  not  only 
received  no  encouragement,  but  were  looked  upon  as  inter- 
lopers come  to  1  ob  them  of  their  rights  ;  and  the  natural  con- 
sequence was,  that  the  adventurers — who  had  come,  at  any 


/ 


rate,  rather  early  in  the  season,  while  mining  was  yet  imprac- 
ticable, from  the  spring  floods — being  unable  to  procure 
mining  locations  either  on  private  property  or  under  any 
public  law,  and  seeing  that  some  who  had  commenced  work 
without  permission  were  arrested  for  trespass,  gradually 
went  oi0f,  many,  indeed,  intending  to  return,  had  not  the 
gold-mining  Act  been  finally  passed  so  late  in  summer  as 
practically  to  spoil  the  season. 

It  may  be  here  remarked  that  the  obnoxious  bill  mention- 
ed as  being  before  the  legislature  was  ultimately  withdrawn, 
and  a  very  liberal  act  passed,  by  which  the  right  to  the  gold 
is  recognized  in  the  proprietor  of  the  soil ;  the  royalty  is 
abolished — except  in  the  one  case  of  the  mining  patent  pre- 
viously granted ;  and  a  trifling  and  easily-understood  poll-tax 
of  one  dollar  per  month  on  each  working  miner  imposed. 

About  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  did  continue  at  work  a 
part  of  the  season,  on  a  small  space  of  between  two  and  three 
acres  on  the  Gilbert  Eiver,  and  met  with  great  success,  hav- 
ing obtained,  at  the  lowest  estimate,  over  $116,000  of  gold 
in  about  one  hundred  and  sixteen  days'  work,  as  computed 
by  the  division  gold  inspector.  It  is  known,  however,  that 
the  miners  have  at  times  been  averaging  as  high  as  $10  to 
the  hand  per  day,  and  some  parties  as  high  as  $30.  And  it 
must  be  taken  into  consideration  that  they  had  every  motive 
to  conceal  the  actual  quantity,  inasmuch  as  they  were  work- 
ing on  the  tract  excluded  from  the  operation  of  the  new  law 
and  subject  under  the  de  Lery  patent  to  a  royalty  of  ten 
per  cent.,  while  at  the  same  time  they  were  jicting  on  pro- 
prietary rights  in  violation  of  the  patent,  and  liable  to  be 
called  upon  to  refund  the  gold  should  the  patent,  which  is 
in  litigation,  be  maintained.  The  miners  had,  therefore, 
every  motive  to  report  as  small  a  quantity  as  possible,  and 


t 


I 


hence  the  actual  quantity  may  be  considered  in  excess  of  the 
inspector's  report ;  but  taken  even  at  that,  it  is  a  splendid 
average  for  unskilled  labor. 

•  In  other  parts  of  the  auriferous  region,  little  more  was 
done  than  ^'prospecting"  by  the  owners  of  the  land,  after 
the  new  law  of  last  summer  had  guaranteed,  their  rights,  and 
some  few  intending  purchasers  who  have  had  reports  from 
geologists  and  practical  miners,  and  in  every  instance  known 
to  the  writer  these  reports  have  been  favorable  in  tlie  highest 
degree.  It  may  be  safely  asserted  that  whatever  doubt  may 
have  existed — such  as  may  still  exist  in  the  minds  of  some — 
on  account  of  the  seeming  absurdity  of  a  productive  gold 
field  having  remained  so  long  undeveloped  at  our  very  doors, 
these  doubts  have  been  removed  in  every  instance  by  a  visit 
to  the  country,  and  an  inspection  of  the  mining  in  progress 
during  last  summer. 

Nor  is  it  so  wonderful  that  the  richness  of  the  district 
should  not  have  been  known  before.  California  was  inhabit- 
ed by  a  similar  non-progressive  population  for  a  long  period 
before  gold  was  discovered,  altliough  the  search  for  the  pre- 
cious metals  was  the  original  cause  of  its  settlement.  Nova 
Scotia  was  never  dreamed  of  as  a  gold  field  until  within  a  few 
years  ;  and  so  with  regard  to  the  Chaudiere,  where  the  great 
bulk  of  the  auriferous  region  is  clothed  with  thick  forests, 
and  its  mere  outskirts  peopled  by  a  most  quiet  and  non- 
progressive people,  content  with  the  simple  abundance  in 
which  they  live. 

Viewed,  therefore,  as  a  field  for  speculation,  these  j^oints 
present  themselves  for  consideration  : 

First  :  That  a  very  superficial  examination,  a  number  of 
years  ago,  proved  that  the  country,  within  a  certain  area^ 
was  auriferous — gold  being  found  wherever  tried. 


«*.■•.  ■,■*«• 


w 


10 

Second  :  That  the  only  experiment  reported  at  that  time 
calculated  to  test  the  question,  proved  the  gold  to  be  in  pay- 
ing quantity  at  the  place  tried — Jersey  Point. 

Third :  That  within  the  last  eighteen  months  gold  has 
been  found  in  numerous  places  in  paying  quantity,  and  has 
been  worked  with  great  success  on  the  Gilbert — one  of  the 
nearest  points,  be  it  remarked,  of  the  gold  region  to  the 
more  thickly  settled  portion  of  the  country. 

Fourth  :  That  the  Gilbert  being  the  most  developed,  sim- 
ply because  the  nearest  to  a  dense  population,  may  be  taken 
as  some  basis  of  calculation — the  paying  character  of  the 
mining  on  it  being  a  settled  matter  beyond  dispute — a  spot 
of  between  two  and  three  acres  having  already  yielded  to 
unskilled  labor  between  $150,000  and  $200,000  in  gold. 

Fifth  :  Tliat  a  considerable  extent  of  country,  especially 
on  the  Famine,  Du  Loup,  and  tributaries,  that  has  been 
prospected,  shows  precisely  the  same  indications  as  the  rich 
tract  worked  on  the  Gilbert ;  many  of  the  places  most  fully 
prospected  yielding  more  gold  than  the  Gilbert  did  when 
only  prospected  to  the  same  extent. 

Sixth  :  That  when  tli(>  countiy  was  superficially  inspected 
by  Sir  William  Logan,  he  found  no  stronger  indications  of 
gold  being  in  quantity  on  the  Gilbert  than  the  other  places 
reported  on. 

Is  it  then  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  Gilbert  is  the 
only  rich  spot — or  that  it  is  the  richest  spot — or  that  it  is 
even  anything  more  than  the  average  of  the  paying  parts  of 
the  auriferous  belt,  and  as  likely  below  as  above  the  aver- 
age ? 


\^ 


I 


11 


The  prospecting  on  the  Famine,  Du  Loup  and  tributaries, 
Metgermette,  &c.,  has  ^satisfi  d  the  parties  interested  that 
they  have  found  as  rich  deposits  as  those  on  the  Gilbert 
(some  think  richer),  and  several  companies  have  been  formed 
who  are  now  preparing  to  work  extensively  on  these  rivers 
during  the  coming  season,  besides  the  Chaudiere  Company, 
the  Du  Loup  Company,  and  the  Reciprocity  Company,  who 
have  large  tracts,  and  are  making  arrangements  for  extensive 
operations.  One  company  on  the  Famine  put  up  houses  for 
workmen,  cleared  considerable  quantities  of  land,  and  worked 
gold  enough  last  season  to  determine  the  points  where  they 
are  to  operate,  and  are  preparing  for  active  work  next  sum- 
mer. Several  smaller  companies  are  also  preparing  to  work 
on  this  river.  On  the  Du  Loup  also  several  companies  are 
preparing  to  work.  A  tract  of  land,  about  two  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  has  lately  been  purchased  for  nearly  |)50,000  in 
cc  '•  Another,  a  little  over  three  hundred  acres,  at  about 
$50,v/vyO  for  a  half  interest.  A  lot  of  two  hundred  acres 
was  disposed  of  last  fall  to  a  company  for  $100,000  prepara- 
tory to  operations  next  summer,  and  several  other  companies 
have  made  purchases,  or  arc  in  treaty  for  lands  at  greater  or 
less  prices,  according  to  the  extent  to  which  the  localities 
have  been  prospected. 

In  referring  to  certain  lands  in  which  it  is  intended  to  dis- 
pose of  an  interest,  there  is  every  desire  to  place  the  matter 
fairly  on  its  merits.  It  is  therefore  not  pretended  that  these 
lands  have  been  fully  developed.  They  have  been  so  far 
prospected  as  to  justify  the  assertion  that  they  contain  gold 
throughout  in  every  part,  with  every  indication  of  its  being 
in  quantity  equal  to  the  Gilbert.  If  worked  to  the  same 
extent,  with  the  proof  available,  by  inspection  and  report, 
that  they  were  as  rich  as  the  Gilbert^  the  price  would  be  a 


hundred  times  greater  than  that  now  asked.  But  there  cannot 
be  a  doubt  but  what  many  spots  on  the  tract  are  as  rich,  for 
they  are  selected  in  the  very  best  part  of  tl  ?  gold  fields,  with 
lands  inspected  and  favorably  reported  upon  adjoining,  with 
the  richest  yet  known  quite  near,  with  a  large  river  frontage, 
and  in  the  direction  of  the  quartz  lodes  of  the  CHlhert — of 
which  the  largest  deposits  yet  known  arc  manifestly  the  prod- 
uct— and  with  the  course  of  the  drift  therefrom  crossing 
the  valley,  which  would  therefore  necessarily  retain  a  large 
portion  of  the  gold. 

The  owners  know  that  the  lands  are  equal  to  any  in  the 
gold  region,  and  view  with  certainty  the  profits  to  result 
from  their  development,  but  looked  at  merely  from  the  point 
of  view  available  to  others  from  the  reports  already  made  on 
that  section  of  the  country,  these  elements  of  a  sound  specu- 
lation present  themselves  in  the  purchase  of  an  interest 
therein,  viz.  : 

1.  The  sligJitness  of  the  risk  of  loss  (if  any)  should  the 
lands  prove  less  prolific  in  gold  than  the  existing  evidence 
indicates. 

2.  The  magnitude  of  the  gain,  should  the  land  prove 
equal — or  even  any  spot  upon  it  prove  equal — to  the  ascer- 
tained wealth  in  its  vicinity  lying  in  the  direction  of  the 
same  belt  of  lodes  and  presenting  the  same  indications. 


'        I. 


A.  «.! 


On  the  first  of  these  heads  it  may  be  observed  that  with 
the  mines  already  proved  to  be  paying,  and  others  that  mnst 
necessarily  be  discovered  unless  all  experience  of  other  gold 
countries  be,  at  fault,  the  enterprise  now  being  introduced 
into  the  country  will  prevent  the  general  price  of  land  from 


IS 


again  falling  below  the  price  asked.  The  risk  of  loss  is 
therefore  small. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  magnitude  of  the  gain  is  indispu- 
table should  the  gold  be  found  in  quantity  at  all  equal  to 
what  any  party  may  be  almost  certain  of  by  a  glance  at  the 
map,  the  properties  already  developed  or  reported  upon,  and 
the  general  Ibearing  of  all  reports  upon  that  section  of  the 
country.  The  purchaser  of  a  mere  mining  claim  in  the 
very  best  position  may  miss  any  valuable  deposit,  but  the 
purchaser  of  an  interest  in  a  considerable  tract  so  situated 
has,  it  may  be  said,  a  certainty  of  finding  it  in  some  part. 

The  question  rather  is,  why,  with  such  indications  of 
value,.8hould  so  low  an  estimate  be  put  upon  the  land  ?  And 
the  answer  is  simply,  that  the  owners  require  aid  to  develop 
the  property,  and  by  retaining  an  interest  will  share  in  the 
future  profit. 

With  regard  to  quartz  veins,  the  question  of  gold  existing 
in  them  in  paying  quantity  may  be  considered  to  have  been 
settled  when  the  theory  of  the  alluvial  gold  being  the  result 
of  the  "  glacial  drift,''  having  its  origin  in  the  rock  of  some 
fair  northern  region,  was  exploded.  The  geological  forma- 
tion of  the  locality  itself  being  precisely  that  of  the  other 
gold-producing  countries,  California,  &c.,  it  would  have  been 
an  odd  coincidence  if  the  "  glacial  drift "  had  made  its  rich 
deposit  of  gold  just  where  the  rock  of  the  country  also  pro- 
duces goldy  and  noiohere  else. 

There  has  no  doubt  been  a  local  drift  which,  from  the 
crushed,  broken,  and  decomposed  rock  on  the  surface,  has 
distributed  the  alluvial  gold  over  the  face  of  the  country, 
but  the  experience  of  all  other  gold  fields  shows  that  where 
BO  much  gold  exists,  some  of  the  quartz  veins  holding  it 


14 

must  have  it  in  large  quantity.  It  would  be  contrary  to  all 
experience  were  it  otherwise. 

But  as  it  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  in  other  auriferous 
couii^rics,  some  of  the  quartz  lodes  contain  no  gold,  some  a 
mere  trace,  and  comparatively  few  have  it  in  quantity,  and 
as  in  those  countries  it  has  been  many  ye&^s  after  the  allu- 
yial  mines  were  worked  that  the  paying  quartz  lodes  were 
discovep^d  and  developed,  so  in  a  country  covered  everywhere 
with  thick  forests,  like  the  Chaudiere,  it  must  take  some 
time  to  test  the  quartz  lodes,  and  develop  the  richest.  The 
experience  acquired  of  late  years  in  other  countries,  will, 
however,  render  the  auriferous  quartz  available  in  this  in  a 
much  shorter  period. 

So  far,  it  can  merely  be  said  that  gold  has  been  found  to 
some  extent  in  numerous  mws,  and  m.  paying  quantity  in  a 
few,  while  detached  boulders,  of  which  the  parent  veins  are 
not  yet  known,  have  been  found  enormously  rich. 

In  judging  of  any  particular  property,  inasmuch  as  the 
richest  deposits  are  generally  near  the  parent  veins,  what 
is  already  known  of  the  country,  the  direction  of  the  lodes 
and  the  drift,  and  published  in  numerous  reports,  will  enable 
any  one  to  form  a  strong  opinion  as  to  the  probabilities  on 
which  he  risks  an  investment,  even  in  regard  to  properties 
that  have  not  been  at  all  prospected. 

It  must  be  remarked  that  in  no  gold  country  in  the  world 
can  gold-bearing  lands  be  held  upon  such  favorable  terms  as 
in  Canada.  In  the  auriferous  regions  of  the  United  States, 
only  small  mining  claims  fire  allowed,  and  a  number  of  these 
have  to  be  united  to  constitute  a  property  at  all  fit  for  the 
operations  of  a  large  company.  In  Australia  the  .same  sys- 
tem was  followed,  and  in  Nova  Scotia,   though  a  settled 


15 


u^ 


couutiy,  it  has  been  adopted,  and  all  interest  in  the  gold 
denied  to  the  proprietors  of  the  soil. 

In  Canoda,  however,  the  liberal  law  passed  last  session  has 
reci>guizcd  the  right  of  the  proprietor  to  the  gold  on  his 
property  :  and  therefore  it  is  manifest  that  to  obtain  a  con- 
siderable tract  of  land  in  the  right  position,  with  a  certainty 
of  some  of  the  rich  lodes  running  through  it,  is,  under  such 
»i  system,  worth  a  small  risk,  as  upon  being  developed,  there 
is  every  probabilit;'  that  (independent  of  mining  by  the  pro- 
prietors on  their  own  account)  they  will  be  able  to  sell  by 
the  foot  what  they  have  purchased  by  the  acre. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  almost  every  one  of  the  great 
gold  fields  had  to  undergo  periods  of  doubt  after  their  first 
discovery.  The  gold  fields  of  California  (where  the  "  drift" 
theory  also  prevailed  for  a  time)  were  frequently  said  to  be 
oonfiued  to  the  early  discoveries,  and  that  when  the  known 
deposits  were  worked  out  the  supply  would  fail.  Pike's  Peak, 
for  a  h»ng  time  after  the  first  rush  had  gone  there,  was  said 
to  be  a  bubble  that  was  sure  to  burst,  as  the  gold  was  con- 
fined to  a  locality  that  would  soon  be  exhausted  ;  but  the  re-  /^  A,.,^,,^;^ 
suit  proved  that  the  discovery  of  the  riches  of  |Hll^||^had 
oiUy  commenced.  In  British  Columbia  it  was  long  main- 
tained that  only  a  few  bars  on  Fraser  river  would  pay,  and 
that  these  would  soon  be  worked  out.  but  new  discoveries 
every  year  prove  richer  than  those  of  the  year  preceding  ;  and 
so  it  may  be  said  of  all  the  gold  regions,  that  in  no  one  in- 
stance  has  gold  hej/ijf^^ound  in  paying  quantity  in  one  spot 
without  being  followed  by  richer  discoveries  thereafter. 

Is  it  possible  to  imagine  that  the  Chaudi^re  will  prove  an 
exception,  and  that  the  rich  diggings  on  the  Gilbert  will 
stand  alone  ?  Even  if  no  other  gold-bearing  spot  were 
known,  a  reasonable  presumption  would  still  be  that  many 


such  existed  ;  but  when  hundreds  of  places,  hurriedly  tried, 
present  all  the  same  indications,  and  as  readily  yield  gold,  is 
it  even  possible  that  the  richness  of  the  auriferous  belt  of 
country  generMlly  is  less  than  the  partially-developed  spots 
yet  tried  ? 

In  the  foregoing  remarks  there  is  no  effort  at  a  geological 
report,  the  intention  being  merely  to  give  a  condensed  view 
of  the  known  facts  as  they  may  be  gathered  from  the  numer- 
ous reports  made,  and  as  they  have  presented  themselves  to 
the  undersigned,  perhaps  the  more  readily  from  his  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  all  that  has  transpired  in  relation  to  the 
question. 

That  the  gold  fields  should  have  remained  so  long  undis- 
covered, it  needs  only  a  local  knowledge  of  the  country  and 
the  population  on  its  outskirts  to  explain.  The  same  know- 
ledge would,  in  some  degree,  account  for  the  non-development 
of  the  region  after  gold  was  known  to  exist,  but  by  far  the 
more  important  cause,  on  this  head,  was  the  idea  that  the 
gold  was  not  the  product  of  the  country,  but  had  been  casu- 
ally sprinkled  over  the  locality  by  the  "glacial  drift,"  which 
prevented  outside  enterprise  from  taking  any  interest  in  it. 
The  real  discovery  may  therefore  be  said  to  date  from  the  fall 
of  1863,  and  although  checked  by  the  causes  explained 
(which  no  longer  exist) — want  of  a  governing  law,  jealousy 
of  proprietors,  whose  rights  were  threatened,  and  hence  ina- 
bility of  miners  to  obtain^claims,  &c. — the  operations  of  1864 
have  been  most  successful  and  satisfactory. 

Wm.  McD.  Dawson. 


f^ 


